


you know you're not alone

by salvatorestjohn



Category: Batwoman (TV 2019), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Accidental Reveal of Superhero Identity As One Does, Barry Allen's Heartful Pep Talks, Developing Friendships, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Heavy Angst, Mentioned Luke Fox, Minor Barry Allen/Kara Danvers, Post-Crisis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:55:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22577407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salvatorestjohn/pseuds/salvatorestjohn
Summary: "Oh, I was just—I was just calling, you know, to see how—""Uh-uh." Barry shakes his head despite it being unnecessary. "Nope. It's been three weeks. We said every two weeks as long as there wasn't some city-wide emergency going on, and I've heard that the most Gotham's really dealing with right now is some Alice in Wonderland cosplayers. We need a break."Kate sighs on the other line, but he can tell she's smiling. He doesn't know how, but he's sure.
Relationships: Barry Allen & Kate Kane, Barry Allen & Mary Hamilton
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	you know you're not alone

Something beeps within the lab. Barry spins around, his eyes darting across the mess he's currently working with. Beeping noises are normal with all of the machines he works with, but his mind goes straight to _bomb, where, evacuate_ and he tries to remember if he heard Eddie and Ralph leave half an hour ago or not. 

There are papers piled high, loose sheets strewn everywhere, files half-open and covering nearly every available surface. The only parts left clear is the equipment he's using. His eyes lock onto the computer now displaying a screen of results from across the room. He sighs in relief.

Crossing over to it, he drops into the wheeled chair and pulls himself closer to the desk to get a look. Actual results, not just flimsy possibilities and long shots. He leans closer, reading over them with wide-eyed relief. They were all beginning to think that this case was a dead-end with no witnesses, no camera footage, and only the smallest, seemingly insignificant pieces of evidence. They were so badly contaminated that Eddie swore up and down he wouldn't be able to get anything from them.

But Barry insisted trying anyway. Good thing he did. A partial fingerprint, and a smudge of blood with an eighty-one-point-three percent chance of match to someone already in their database. He can work with that. Now he just has to check back up with Julian once he gets in to see if he got anything from the half of the evidence he handed over to him. It's been . . . strange adjusting to having him back, but he's managing. It's not exactly the weirdest thing he's been dealing with post-Crisis.

Another beeping noise catches his attention, more familiar this time. His eyes barely dart away from the screen for a second, blindly reaching out a hand to try and find his phone as he tries to put together whether or not the two different DNA matches coming up for the fingerprint should be worrying him considering he should barely even have managed to get one. 

His hand meets papers and the edges of files, but nothing solid. He glances at the desk only to realize that his phone isn't there. Snapping back to reality, he quickly spins in his chair, pushing up out of it, scrambling to find his phone before it stops ringing. Someone calling him has a seventy-eight percent chance of being an emergency. 

It takes him an alarming moment to locate it, but he manages to rush to the desk across the room and hit answer a second before it stops vibrating. He doesn't even look at the caller ID, his phone already pressed to his ear as he huffs out a quick breath, trying to play it cool.

" _Barry?_ " Kate's voice comes through, making his brow furrow in momentary confusion, catching the note of it in her voice as well. " _Bad time?_ "

"Uh—no," he says, relaxing with a grin. He drags a hand through his hair, settling it on the back of his neck. He glances around at the mess he's surrounded himself with. "Not really. I'm just at work, and with everything that happened, there's a lot of catching up to do. Like, a whole lot. I'm pretty sure we didn't have this many Rogues in Central before. Does Gotham have more villains now as well or am I just going out of my mind?"

Kate laughs, and it brings him a little bit of ease, letting him slump back against the desk behind him. 

" _To be fair, I think we've all gone a little out of our minds_ ," she replies, and he snorts, unable to disagree. " _But yeah, there are . . . I've noticed a couple things different from before. Mostly new weirdos terrorizing the city._ "

"Guess that's just one of the benefits of sharing the same earth now," he jokes, moving papers from the edge of the desk without really looking. "We get to deal with each other's bad guys. I'm pretty sure we've had at least three aliens and one really crazy guy who talked about masked vigilante's and vengeance just this week."

" _Ah, so that's why you haven't been answering any calls._ "

Barry pauses in confusion at the way she says it, a little pointed. Then it clicks. He hadn't even bothered to question why she was calling him, just fell easily into conversation with her. Closing his eyes, he hangs his head and lets out a quiet sigh.

"I'm sorry," he says, shaking his head. "I was the one who made us all promise to check in and here I am, completely forgetting. Everything's just been so hectic lately, especially with both of my day jobs. It just slipped my mind, I'm—"

" _No, it's okay_ ," Kate gently cuts him off. She sighs as well now. " _In all honesty, I called because I . . ._ " She chuckles. " _I forgot as well. Like you put it: handling two day jobs doesn't exactly go hand in hand with a proper social life outside of the people we work with. I talked to Kara a couple weeks ago, but that was it._ "

"Oh yeah, congrats on that, by the way," Barry says with a smile that she can't see. "That article you two did was amazing. It touched a lot of people, even over here. All I've been hearing is how great it is that Batwoman's being her true self. I'm proud of you."

She gives a quiet huff of a laugh, and he knows she's smiling as well. Probably ducked her head as well because compliments and positive, genuine acknowledgement aren't really her forte, he's noticed.

" _Thanks, Barry_ ," she says, sincere. " _I just . . . knew that I needed to do it. But speaking of—is Kara going to get to write a coming-out piece for the Flash next? It seems to be what she's becoming pretty well-known for. And, she is your girlfriend, after all, and giving that type of headline to someone else just wouldn't be very boyfriend-ly of you. Especially if it was Clark. I wouldn't recommend even mentioning that possibility to her._ "

Barry laughs, tipping his head back to stare up at the ceiling. His skin heats up, his stomach twisting a little, but it's more of an instinctual response to the conversation at this point than anything else. Joy mixed with internalised fear mixed with even guilt.

"I don't know if the Flash is quite ready for that yet," he admits. "Barry Allen is still getting used to it. But . . . maybe sometime in the near future, yeah. I've talked to Kara about it once or twice, so."

" _Don't rush it,_ " Kate says, understanding. " _You're allowed to figure it out at your own pace. But, if and when Flash does publicly come out, Batwoman will be very supportive. Especially once the media starts up with their whole 'keep politics out of superhero business' bullshit._ "

"Yeah, sorry you had to deal with that. They're gonna be the ones losing their minds when they realize that pretty much all of their superheroes and vigilante's aren't straight or cis, not just Batwoman and Dreamer. It would already be worth it for all of the people it would help, but also for that. To see them realize what a big mistake they've made by talking us up in the media."

Kate laughs, agreeing. " _They're gonna have more of a meltdown than they already are._ "

There's a pause between them as their laughter slowly dies back down. 

"So, you wanted to check in?" he asks, softer now. "Coffee? My city or yours?"

" _Oh, I was just—I was just calling, you know, to see how—_ "

"Uh-uh." Barry shakes his head despite it being unnecessary. "Nope. It's been three weeks. We said every two weeks as long as there wasn't some city-wide emergency going on, and I've heard that the most Gotham's really dealing with right now is some Alice in Wonderland cosplayers. We need a break."

Kate sighs on the other line, but he can tell she's smiling. He doesn't know how, but he's sure.

" _You know, every time I talk to you or Kara, I understand more and more how you two are together,_ " she says.

"Is that a yes to coffee?" he asks, grinning. 

" _Sure,_ " Kate agrees, and he can picture her rolling her eyes. " _But I don't think I can afford to leave Gotham right now. It's . . . not a good time for Batwoman or my actual self to be out of the city_."

Barry nods, shrugging. "That's cool. I'll come to Gotham then. It'll be nice to get out of Central for a day or two."

" _I don't know if_ nice _is the word I'd use to describe Gotham,_ " Kate jokes. 

"Alright, well, I'll see you in a couple hours then."

They hang up, and Barry takes a quick look around his lab. If he runs there instead of taking the train, he could easily make it to Gotham in less than ten minutes. The impatience to go now is already jumping around inside of him. It's been a while since he ran for something other than chasing down criminals, and the view on the way there is worth it.

He glances at the closed door then lets himself slip into the speed force, rushing around the lab in the blink of an eye to tidy everything up. Not only would Joe kill him if he came back and found it a mess, but Julian would threaten to have him fired again. He checks all of the computers and equipment as he goes, reading through all of the results that are already done and scribbling down the key pieces of information.

It seems like one of the DNA matches might not be from Central City after all. Maybe he could ask around while he's in Gotham since they definitely aren't an alien. Knowing his luck they'll be one of Jefferson's bad guys. At least it'll give him another excuse to check up on him soon as well. 

He slips all of the information into the case file and drops it on Julian's desk with a note reading:

" _Going to Gotham, be back in a couple days. This should be all of the evidence you need. Call me in case of emergency. Barry :)_ "

Then he stops, glances around to make sure nothing's out of place. Satisfied, he grins, straightens his shirt, and swipes up his phone and keys before walking out of the lab. 

He doesn't have all that much to do; Central City seems to be fairly quiet on the Metahuman—and alien—front, so he's not needed at S.T.A.R. Labs. Eddie, Julian, and Ralph can handle it even if something does go down on the law side of it all, and Cisco and Caitlin can handle any rogues. Joe would practically drive him all the way there if it meant he'd finally agree to take a short break.

With that thought, he doesn't bother waiting for a train. He runs, feeling the Speed Force welcome him with the warmth of lightning crackling through his veins, electrifying his blood. Zips along the river, casting a glance at National City on the way with a smile. He runs until he passes the Gotham City welcome sign which is really more of a giant piece of metal stating that you're willingly putting your life at risk. Runs until he starts to smell burning rubber, feels the soles of his shoes heating up as he pushes himself through the streets and up some stairs and through the open doors.

He nearly hurtles straight into the desk, just barely stopping himself in time. Everything starts back up in normal speed in, ironically, a rush. He quickly stamps his feet on the carpet, smothering the sizzling flames trying to grow. 

"Holy—what the hell?!"

Barry quickly looks up, his eyes widening at the unfamiliar yelp of surprise. Papers are still settling back down on the breeze he brought with him, slightly scattered as they drift through the air. Kate sighs, her shoulders dropping in resignation, but there's a twitch at the corners of her mouth. The same can't be said for the man standing next to her, who looks rather ruffled and a little terrified. 

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" Kate says, raising her eyebrows at him. "When you say you'll be a couple of hours, be normal and actually take a couple of hours to get here. Trains exist for a reason."

Barry grins, sheepish. "Sorry."

"Uh . . ." Kate's friend points between the two of them, ". . . do you . . . so you two know each other? Because I'd like some insight as to what the hell just happened besides the fact that I'm pretty sure I'm now talking to the Flash. Either that or one of those other speedsters, but you sorta have the same figure as Flash. Tall. Lanky."

Barry's brow furrows and he can't help but sound mildly offended as he quietly repeats, "Lanky?"

"Ah. Right, sorry," Kate says, ignoring him as she turns back to her friend. "Luke—" she gestures at him, "—this is Barry. He's a friend. From Central City, as you can clearly tell already."

Barry raises a hand, giving a slight wave when Luke glances over at him. His eyes are still wide, darting up and down and all over him like he's trying to find something, or trying to imagine a particular red suit. Maybe speeding in wasn't the best idea. Everyone keeps telling him to stop doing it. He had just kind of assumed that Kate would be alone; she doesn't exactly talk about her friends outside of the ones they have in common.

Luke points at him again and turns back to Kate, his eyebrows raised high on his forehead. "He's the Flash?" He looks at Barry. "You're the Flash? You know, red speedy guy with yellow lightning? That's—you're him? _That_ guy?"

"Uh . . ." Barry shares an uncertain look with Kate, and says, "yeah? But, you know, can you maybe not say that so loud? It's sort of a secret."

Luke's eyebrows only lift higher and Barry falters. 

"Not a very well-kept one," Barry adds, shaking his head. He thinks he might actually have lost count of the people who know his real identity at this point. Luke and Kate both agree and he flushes. "But still. Superhero. Secret identity."

Luke nods slowly. He still looks absolutely puzzled and a little dazed by the whole thing, but he seems to be processing it pretty well. It makes Barry think that maybe his isn't the only secret identity that Luke is aware of. Then again, the first time he met Thea, she was more than a little starstruck despite literally being a vigilante herself and having the Arrow for a brother, so maybe reactions aren't a sign of anything. 

"Riiight." Luke draws the word out, glancing at Kate as if silently asking if she wants to give him sort of signal. She just smiles, and he nods again, getting the message and quickly pointing to the door now instead. "Okay, so I'm going to go."

Kate nods back. "See you later."

"It was nice meeting you," Barry says, sheepish smile still in place.

Luke's eyes narrow for a moment, and he gets the feeling that he's torn between suspicion as Kate's friend and utter confusion at him being the Flash. He's honestly not sure if he's feeling judged and if he should be offended. But then a small smile twists its way across Luke's face, and within seconds, it's a small but friendly enough grin as he starts to walk away. 

"You too," he says, though there's some underlying uncertainty in there that Barry's choosing to skip over. 

He turns around, crossing the room to leave. Barry breathes out a sigh and turns back to Kate only to be met with raised eyebrows and a rather pointed look that makes him feel like he's about to be lectured just a little bit. He starts to chuckle, trying to shrug it off just as there's another, slightly less terrified, yelp. 

They look over at the doors to find Luke hastily apologizing to a woman. She barely seems to notice; just rolls her eyes and marches in, her attention focused on rifling through the bag that's slung over her shoulder. Luke lingers for a moment, his lips parting, then he seems to decide it best to leave, hurrying to continue out of the office. 

"He's so weird, have I ever told you that?" the woman asks without even looking up, missing Barry entirely as he throws a confused glance at Kate. "Good weird, of course. Like you. And I suppose me. And everyone that we know. But I don't have time for him to be delaying me, and I don't have time for you to be— _what_?"

She cuts herself off abruptly when Kate clears her throat, making her finally lift her head in exasperation. Then her eyes lock onto Barry. Her expression shifts from one of unfiltered irritation and frustration to a little more guarded and curious. 

"This is my friend," Kate introduces him once again, motioning at him. "Barry, this is my step-sister; Mary. Barry's in town from Central City for a couple of days to visit. Thought I'd give him a proper tour while he's here."

He smiles at her, feeling like it's the right move, and a touch of sheepishness gets thrown into her mix of emotions as she returns it with a slight exhale. He opens his mouth to speak, but something changes before he can get even a word out.

"Don't have time for you to be busy," Mary finishes with a drop in her shoulders, her eyes back on Kate. He could be imagining the disappointment that he thinks he sees catch in her expression for a second but he's not so sure. "Guess I'll just come back later then. Call me when you have time, yeah?"

Barry's eyebrows furrow in confusion, and he glances between them again, trying to figure it out. He's missing something.

Kate goes to take a step forward, even reaching out as she starts to say, "Mary, wait—"

"It's fine," Mary cuts her off, shaking her head, already walking backwards as she holds a hand out in front of her as if to wave her off. "Totally fine. Seriously. Don't worry about it. I can . . . I can handle this stuff on my own. You just . . . do whatever it is you have to do, and you can call me later, okay? You know where to find me."

She doesn't give Kate the chance to respond as she turns around on the spot and strides straight back out of the office without faltering for a second or looking back. Kate's arm drops back to her side with a quiet sigh. Barry glances between the open doors and Kate, still standing there, looking pretty disappointed herself. 

"She seemed . . . nice," he tries, but he's more confused than he was a minute ago.

"Usually, yeah," Kate agrees with another sigh, turning back around. "It's just not a good time for her right now. For any of us, really."

"What's going on?" he asks, concerned. "I know you said it wasn't a good time for you to leave Gotham, but I sort of took that to mean bad guys and people in clown masks trying to rob banks. That . . ." he waves a hand aimlessly towards the door, "that seemed like something else."

Kate rolls her head and turns back around, moving back over to join him at the desk as she crosses her arms. He leans his side into the desk, partially mirroring her as she leans back, waiting patiently.

"Sort of," she says. "It's just our dad's murder trial. It's putting a lot of stress on her, trying to prove his innocence. On me as well, I suppose, but I . . . I don't know. I guess it's just easier for me to have faith? It's just really getting to Mary because it was her mom that he's on trial for murdering."

Barry blinks, and he's sure his mouth has dropped open, unable to do anything but stare at her as he closes it again, then repeats. He quickly tries to mask his expression, but his eyebrows are creasing again as he tries to wrap his head around it in the least obvious way possible.

"Oh, he didn't kill her," Kate says as if assuring him, so he figures that something must have shown on his face. Either that or she's used to this conversation. "My twin sister framed him to get back at him for abandoning his search for her when she went missing when we were kids. And my step-mother sort of covered up that she was alive. It's long and complicated."

Anyone else might be horrified—and Barry is, of course he is, the situation is horrific and absolutely crazy. Almost crazy enough to be right out of an Alice in Wonderland novel if the Mad Hatter had murdered Alice's mother to keep her with them forever and it turned out that the Queen of Hearts was her birth mother. But sympathy hits him the hardest. He of all people understands far too well what it's like to be going through something like this.

"Wait, you have a twin?" he asks without thinking.

Kate turns her head to stare at him, arching an eyebrow. "That's your question?"

"I'm . . . pretty well acquainted with people being framed for murders," he explains.

"Ah, right." Kate nods, her mouth twisting into a small smile. "You get it then."

"Mhm."

"Well, remember that Alice in Wonderland cosplayer you mentioned earlier?"

Barry nods. Kate just raises her eyebrows, holding his stare. It takes a beat to pass and then it clicks. Maybe his internal analogy was in poor taste and a little too accurate.

"She's my twin," Kate confirms for him all the same. "Not identical, just fraternal. That wouldn't be good for anyone otherwise."

"Wow," Barry exhales, straightening up a little. "I . . . that's a lot."

"Her real name is Beth. Who, speaking of, I have plans to go and meet because I thought you were going to take more than ten minutes. I've heard you're usually late and I was kinda counting on you living up to that reputation."

Barry's eyes widen, passing over the last comment as Kate pushes away from the desk with a smirk. He makes a noise of something like protest, uncertain, and she stops, spins back around, the realization dawning on her.

"Not that Beth," she quickly corrects. "It's complicated, but crisis basically put a doppelgänger or whatever of my sister on this earth. She's from a universe where she's not a supervillain, thankfully, so we're both trying to help each other . . . adjust."

"That . . . surprisingly makes a lot of sense and I totally get it," he says, faintly wishing that maybe he didn't have as many run-ins with misplaced doppelgängers as he has. "That must be really confusing, though. For both of you."

Kate hums in agreement and points her thumbs over her shoulder, towards the door, and says, "It really is, which is why—"

"Oh yeah, of course!" Barry waves it off. "Go. I can find something around here to do. Nothing's ever boring in Gotham, right?"

"Definitely not. But I was actually going to offer you to come with me."

"Oh." Barry's eyebrows draw together as he asks, "Would . . . your sister be okay with that? I mean, if she's still new to all of this, then wouldn't it freak her out a bit? I don't want to do anything that'll make this scarier or harder for her than it must already be."

Kate smiles, tilting her head as she motions her hand around them in show. "I'm not sure anything can freak her out more than this. Besides, she's taking it all pretty well. And it could be good for her to be around people who aren't me, Luke, or Mary. And yeah, that last one's going about as well as you think it is, but it's not so bad."

Barry grimaces but pushes away from the desk to join her.

"You definitely need that coffee. Or maybe something stronger."

She snorts, nodding as they begin walking, heading out of the office. 

"Lucky thing I own a bar then," she says.

He stares at her, his head tilting with a smile, impressed. "You own a whole bar? Of course you do. Billionaire. But still, very cool. Maybe we should just go there instead." He pauses. "Wait. Gay bar?"

Kate rolls her eyes, but she's grinning as she closes the doors behind them, pulling a key out of her pocket to lock up. 

"I would be offended by the assumption that it's gay just because I am, but," she nods again, shrugging as Barry chuckles, "yeah, it's a gay bar. And I'm sure that one of CCPD's finest forensic investigators being spotted in Gotham to hang out in the new gay bar would make a great headline."

His grin widens as she finishes and turns back to him. "No one cares what Barry Allen is up to."

They start walking again and he shrugs, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Besides, I'm not afraid to be seen supporting my friend on her new business. And having a drink there because it's been a week and I've had this relentless headache, so I think I might need to make my coffee a little Irish. You have anything that will work on a speedster?"

Kate laughs, and says, "Alright, you can be my guinea pig for expanding my selection to more invincible clientele. But I need to be sober for at least another four hours. So, just plain coffee until then."

"Agreed."

* * *

Gotham is actually way more alive than Barry was expecting. The one from his original Earth was never as lively as this one seems to be; it was dark and was constantly shadowed in grey clouds, and everyone he passed walked with their head down and a frown or seemed wary of everything. No one seems afraid here.

If anything, they're confident, and hopeful, and way more optimistic. Partially due to Batwoman, he guesses. He's already spotted at least three different newspapers with their front headline revolving around her and how the people are siding with her after the protest to turn the batlight back on. 

"Looks like you're popular," he comments, eyeing the menu above him pointedly. They decided on coffee shop instead of bar.

Kate barely glances up, catching sight of the specials drink named "The Batwoman", a red velvet latte with Oreos sprinkled on top, before she ducks her head back down with an amused scoff. Sliding the money onto the counter, she takes her drink and turns to him.

"You know, for someone with a secret identity of your own, you're really not good at the whole secret thing, are you?" she asks quietly as they move away from the counter, making their way to the back of the shop where the stairs are located. "But it's Batwoman who's popular. Not me."

"Please, I'm sure plenty of people in Gotham like you," Barry says, and receives raised eyebrows in response. "You're _Kate Kane_."

"Tell me, how many people in Central City like billionaires?" Kate asks. "I've heard that people still aren't over everything that happened with Harrison Wells, and he was meant to have died, like, five years ago."

Barry shakes his head. "That's completely different. The original Harrison Wells, or at least the one that everyone thought was the original . . . I mean, he infected half of the city with dark matter. He literally created Meta-Humans. And Lena Luthor sort of killed a couple of people or something, didn't she? Turned against Supergirl? People don't like her not because she's a billionaire, but because of her actions, just like with Harrison Wells. What have you done that's so bad?"

"Nothing, I suppose," Kate admits as they walk up the stairs, finding a table in the very corner, overlooking the rest of the shop from the balcony. "Yet. And even with all of that, there's more to it. The stigma around Bruce affects me, too, just by being related to him."

"Okay, everyone who isn't a supervillain loves Bruce Wayne," Barry counters, pulling up a seat across from Kate as she sits. "But the people of Gotham just need more time to adjust to you being around. To see that you're one of the good guys. Not one of those egotistical, self-centred rich people who don't care about anyone else. Something that you have already proven to not be true."

"As Batwoman," Kate says, a hint of amusement to her voice. 

Barry rolls his eyes but sits back in his chair, holding his hands up with a grin. "Fine. I'll concede."

"That was a little too easy for someone who occasionally has to go to court to prove someone's guilt with scientific evidence." She's teasing now, hiding her own grin behind her coffee cup. 

He breathes out a chuckle and just shakes his head at her, taking a drink of his own coffee. It's not scalding hot like the ones from Jitters seem to usually be, and it's a little stronger than he would have expected, but it's nice. Exactly what he needs.

"Beth should be here any minute," Kate says, now pulling her phone out of her pocket to check. "And—when she gets here, could you, you know, maybe not mention that you're basically here for a superhero trauma therapy session? For one, I think you've already revealed your identity to enough people today."

Barry nods. "Of course. I get it. I haven't really talked to . . . well, anyone outside of you and Kara about it."

Kate lifts her eyes back to him with a strange look on her face, and there's a hint of cautious confusion in her voice when she asks, "Even Iris?"

He can't say he blames her. He hesitates to answer her, pressing his lips together in a subtle grimace. Things have been rocky between him and Iris since Crisis. Since before it, actually. The divorce after everything that happened with Nora was just . . . a lot.

And he hasn't really seen much of her since he and Kara started dating. Long trips to Coast City, apparently, and Metropolis, and Freeland, and pretty much anywhere that he isn't. Even just the thought of trying to bring any of it up to her sets him on edge and makes his chest feel like it's getting tighter with every breath. 

He shakes his head. "No. It's just . . . it's not a good time. Maybe once everything's back to normal, but this kind of thing . . . it isn't what we need to be talking about right now. She hasn't really been around S.T.A.R. Labs or the house much anyway since the earth got restored and her ex-fiance got magically brought back to life."

Kate's the one grimacing now. "Maybe you need actual therapy."

He snorts, nodding, and says, "Yeah, beginning to think so myself. But then you and Kara would both bottle everything up and refuse to talk to anyone because you both think you're perfectly fine, just like Sara's been doing by refusing to return anyone on earth's calls. So, unless you two are gonna agree to real group therapy . . . "

"I will . . . consider it." Kate laughs, and he just shakes his head, smiling as he takes another drink. She glances at her phone then turns in her seat. "Oh, hey—Beth's here!"

Barry leans closer to the balcony to see where she's looking. A tall, brown-haired woman is hovering uncertainly by the doors, hands in her coat pockets, eyes shifting around the room as if she's a goat in a cow's pen. It's none of that that tips him off, though, or even the fact that Mary is right next to her, scanning over the room with purpose. It's the resemblance.

She and Kate may not be identical twins, but he can certainly tell they're related. Even if not technically on this earth or these versions of them and if Kate has five-hundred more tattoos than she does and far shorter hair. 

He can already see the lost feeling that Kate was talking about. Though he wouldn't be able to tell that she's not of this earth just from looking at her, or even from talking to her, there's just something about the look on her face. It's not the world that doesn't think she belongs, but her herself.

He supposes he can't exactly blame her for that considering the situation. Waking up in a world where you recognize the faces of the people you pass, but they have no idea who you are. Or mistake you for your slightly more evil doppelgänger. It can't be all that great.

Kate manages to catch Mary's attention with a wave and a gentle smile. She tugs on Beth's sleeve, motioning her head to them, and is already pulling her along towards the stairs to join them. Beth's eyes flicker from Kate to Barry as they approach once they're up the stairs.

He can already see the wariness in her gaze, the uncertainty. Something feels _off_ about the way she's looking at him, though. A little too intently. Too surprised. A whole flurry of emotions seems to be flashing in her eyes in one glance where their eyes momentarily meet.

"Sorry, we got caught up in the way over trying to avoid having to explain the whole doppelgänger thing again in an attempt to not have the police called on us," Mary apologizes the second they reach them, rolling her eyes. Her hand moves as she talks, gesturing aimlessly. Barry can't help but notice that her bag has files poking out of the top of it.

"Was everything okay?" Kate asks, her eyebrows creasing in concern as she glances between the two of them. 

Beth waves it off surprisingly easily, a smile even curving the corners of her mouth. "Don't worry, we sorted it. People don't seem to question it that much when you say the word doppelgänger on this earth, huh?"

Kate and Barry both shake their heads. He's certainly had to do that more than one time, even before Crisis. The constant reappearance of Harrison Wells, the crazy scientist who ruined the lives of many and was supposed to have died, has definitely made Barry's life trickier than it needs to be. And he wishes that was the only doppelgänger situation they've had to deal with, but the word has certainly been getting tossed around a lot more recently, even with nearly everyone oblivious to the changes to their world.

He glances up at Beth to find her eyes already trained on him. Haunted. That's the look. But it's brief as they grow upon locking with his and she's quick to tear them away, focusing back on Mary as she speaks.

"And we ran into Sophie," Mary adds, sounding fairly unpleased about that, bordering on accusatory as she stares at Kate. "Seriously, it's like the woman's everyone now. You need to sort out whatever's going on there, because I can't handle the awkward small talk about you and the uncomfortableness of this whole situation, alright?"

She doesn't give Kate much room to respond, turning to the table next to them, already hauling her bag off of her shoulder. Kate just opens her mouth only to close it again, then nods once. Barry shoots her a sympathetic look. She gives a small, but grateful smile in return as Mary settles into a chair. Beth hovers.

He looks to her once more and he can feel that she's actively avoiding meeting his gaze now. 

"As weird as this is going to sound," he starts before he can stop himself, his confusion and curiosity eating away at him as Beth risks looking at him, "did you . . . happen to know me . . . on your earth? I only ask because you get this sort of haunted expression every time you look at me, like you're seeing a ghost."

Beth visibly tenses, her eyes growing wider. She nods. "That's because I am."

Barry's eyes mirror hers now. He blinks slowly, and Beth almost looks like she regrets saying it. Kate and Mary share a look between them, neither knowing what's happening, both just as lost as Barry.

"I mean—I know you're not a ghost," Beth rushes to continues, chuckling nervously as she motions to him. "Obviously. But it's just that, on my earth, you . . . you're dead. Or were dead, I guess."

Barry tries to wrap his head around that. It's not the craziest thing he's heard, obviously, but even so; hearing it come from someone else leaves him with a weird, cold feeling in the bottom of his stomach and a shiver up his spine. He's meant to be dead.

"You knew me? Or the other version of me?" he asks, straightening up in his chair to stare up at her. It feels so weird when he has no knowledge of her whatsoever. Even though he knows he's never seen her before, he still tries to rack his mind for any possible interaction, maybe when he was visiting another earth.

Beth nods and a sad smile spreads across her face.

"Yeah, I did." Her hands are moving together, fingers fidgeting between each other, mindlessly twisting a ring on her index finger. "You were actually a really good friend of mine. You, uh, you were dating my friend. Felicity Smoak?"

If Barry had been taking a drink at that precise moment, he would have choked. He still makes a surprised noise in the back of his throat even without it, his eyes growing ten times wider, he's sure, and earning him strange looks from Mary and Beth. Kate's the only other one aware of who Felicity is, though not from actually meeting her in person.

"Feli—Felicity Smoak?" He nods, his head bobbing too fast. "That's . . . uh . . . definitely not what I was expecting you to say."

"I take it you're not with Felicity here?" Beth ventures. 

"Definitely not," he confirms. "I mean, we did sort of kiss that one time, and I had a bit of a crush on her when I met her. And was kinda jealous when she started dating Ray—but it was very brief! And she ended up marrying . . ."

He trails off. The rest of the sentence gets lodged in the back of his throat, his name feeling like a golfball. Kate looks across at him with that expression on her face she had when he and Kara told her they were going to go to the funeral; the sympathy and pain for them has been something Barry's spent far too long enduring throughout his life, and to go through it all over again only makes the grief feel worse than he thought it possibly could.

"She married one of my best friends on this earth," he forces himself to finish, lifting his head back up to look at her, a small smile stretching his mouth. "Oliver Queen. He was a good man. They were happy together."

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Mary look up at him. Discreet shock and realization. The name Oliver Queen is known by everyone for what he did. His sacrifice. 

The name doesn't seem to have quite the same effect on Beth, her sympathy just slightly more toned down than Kate's, her smile turning down into sad understanding.

"He sounded like a good man," she says. "And I'm . . . sorry. For your loss."

He nods and smiles back gratefully, his eyes dropping back down to his coffee. Just talking about it makes his throat ache, that overwhelming feeling of grief hitting him like a blow to the chest every time. No matter how much he talks about it with Kara, or Kate, or even Sara when he can get a hold of her, and Dig when he visits, it never gets any easier. But he already knew that. Time doesn't heal the pain at all. 

He can't help but notice Mary ducking her head, her eyes fixed on the files she's pulling out of her bag to spread out on her table. Something about the look on her face; the thin line of her mouth, the distant, sort of disconnected expression. He remembers what Kate told him back in her office.

"Well," Kate starts, and he draws in a breath, pushing a smile back onto his face as she glances over at him, then back up at Beth, motioning a hand to the table, "why don't you sit down? I'll go and get—"

A familiar, default ringtone makes her break off, her eyebrows furrowing. She holds up a finger to tell them to hold on just a second and pulls her phone out, checking it. Her face immediately drops with a groan. 

"It's the guys who deal with liquor licenses," she explains, then quickly answers the call, lifting the phone to her ear. "What's up, Danny? You said I wouldn't hear back from you for another month. Should I assume this means something's wrong? Or that you've screwed up the dates _again_?"

Barry raises his eyebrows and shares an amused look with Beth. He takes a drink of his coffee, watching Kate make a face as if ready to suit up and throw a few batarangs. It makes him glad they're friends. And that he doesn't own a business. Apparently that's hard even when you're a billionaire. 

"Are you kidding me?" Judging by the way Kate's jaw clenches, they're not. "Alright, fine. I'll . . . be there."

He stares at Kate as she hangs up, catching her eyes. She sighs and he can already see the apology starting to form, to both him and Beth.

"Whatever it is, it's fine," he reassures her. "Go and deal with it. I get it. I'll just . . ." he glances around, shrugging, ". . . stay here, finish my coffee, wait for you to get back. And if I get bored, I'll go sightseeing. I hear Gotham has some of the best attractions."

Kate grins at his sarcasm in the last part. She nods, clearly relieved for a split second. Then she turns her eyes on Beth with worry. 

"I think I'll come with you," Beth says before she can get a word out. "The staring is hard to bare out there, but it's at least easier with fresh air than it is in here where I can barely breathe."

"Alright, well, I promise this should only take a half-hour at most," Kate tells Barry, standing from her seat as she slips her phone into her back pocket. "If it takes any longer than that, then my bar's the third building on the right on Elm and Saw. It's hard to miss; look for the rainbow."

Barry grins and nods back. "Got it."

Kate's gaze shifts over to Mary, who doesn't seem to have been listening to a word that's been spoken since Kate answered her phone. Her head's bent low, chin resting in the palm of her hand, eyes darting from one page to the next with laser focus, and Barry can practically see the wheels turning in her head. 

"Uh, Mary?" Kate says uncertainly, making her head snap up, eyes widening. "I have to run down to the bar. Whole liquor license thing again. Do you wanna come with—"

"I can't," Mary says, her shoulders sinking. The regret's clear on her face and her voice is apologetic as she explains, "I have to find something that I can give to dad's lawyers or they're saying we'll lose our chance, and with Alice still out there, I don't want to waste time. But if Danny starts giving you trouble again, remind him that I helped him out with his arm last month."

Kate smiles, though it still looks a little sad and disappointed at missing a chance to spend time with her.

"Will do. And—" she reaches out to place a hand on Mary's shoulder, surprising her, "—please, drink something while you're here. With all the late nights, you at least need some caffeine to keep you from passing out. And buy a muffin or something."

Mary rolls her eyes, but her mouth curves up into a soft smile and a little bit of that distance in her eyes fades. "Don't go all big sister on me now. Go deal with your bar!"

Kate chuckles. It's the second time Barry's seen her so happy today. It's nice; his whole reason for coming to Gotham was to check in with her, and vice versa, so it's a relief to see that she's doing well, even if a little stressed out in the midst of, well, everyday life in Gotham City. At least for a Kane and Batwoman.

Doing as instructed, Kate waves a quick goodbye, and she and Beth head back down the stairs to leave. Barry watches the doors swing shut behind them from over the balcony, taking another drink of his quickly cooling coffee. It's practically an iced latte with a shot of espresso at this point but he isn't too fussy. If it has caffeine, that's all that matters to him. 

There's a rustle of papers to his left, followed by a deep, frustrated sigh. He peers over at Mary. She's already back to her original position with all of her attention focused on the files. Not wanting to disturb her, he stays quiet and takes to looking around the room. Barely a minute passes in relative silence between them, Barry taking slow sips of his coffee while Mary gives little sighs and mutters incoherent things under her breath.

 _You shouldn't bother her,_ he thinks to himself. His finger taps against the side of his cup, picking up the word "trial." _It's none of your business and if Kate wanted you to say something, she would have told you so_. But then again, she doesn't exactly know just how familiar he is with their situation. And something about just sitting here, doing nothing while someone agonizes over this doesn't sit right with him.

"Why are we even paying them if I'm doing their jobs?" Mary mutters, annoyance clear and sharp in her voice. 

Barry closes his eyes for a second and wonders what are the chances of him regretting this considering their first interaction. He glances over at her and briefly catches the words "poison" and "claims to be framed" on one of the sheets closest to him. _Damn it._

She sighs again, the frustration dripping from the one noise, and drops her head into her hands. 

"Hey," Barry gently says without thinking, his instincts driving him. "Are you . . . okay?"

It's a stupid question, but a default one all the same and a conversation starter at the very least, just to break the ice without diving right through it. A beat passes, then Mary lifts her head once she seems to realize he is in fact talking to her when no one else responds. That's some success.

"Yeah?" she replies, spreading her hands without moving her elbows from the table. "Totally."

Barry nods, brushing past the biting tone she uses. He knows what this is like, and it sucks. He wasn't exactly the easiest person to be around when he was eleven, or twelve, or twenty-six. He's just barely got a handle on himself after Oliver, and even now, he's sure he's snapped at some of the people closest to him, never mind strangers, none of which did anything wrong aside from deciding to speak to him at the wrong moment.

"I know that look on your face," he tells her. "It's the face of someone who's dealing with . . . an _immense_ amount of grief. And trauma. More than anyone should have to go through, and bottling it all up." At Mary's puzzled glance, he adds, "Kate told me about your dad. The trial?"

Irritation creeps into Mary's expression as she scoffs quietly, but he's not taking it personally. If she doesn't want to talk, he'll back off. The last thing he wants to do is make this any worse for her. 

"Don't be mad at her for that by the way," he quickly adds, shaking his head. "I asked what was going on since I'm in town for . . . well, to check up on her, I guess. I didn't know what was happening with your dad. And I'm not saying you have to talk to me about it, obviously, especially since we met literally an hour ago, but you just seem like you could use someone to vent to. Or at least to help."

Mary pushes out a broken laugh now, nodding. "Yeah. Help is exactly what I could be doing with from these stupid lawyers, but—hey, they don't want to do their jobs, so I'm stuck with all of the work and―I should not be telling you any of this. No offense, but I really don't think you could help with . . . any of this."

Barry's mouth curves slightly, that sad smile returning, and he says, "actually, I think I understand pretty well."

Mary just stares at him, disbelieving, merely raising an eyebrow. 

"Really?" she asks. "You can relate to watching your mother be murdered in front of you and have your step-dad be framed for it by your crazy step-sister who's supposed to be dead?"

"Yeah, I can."

Mary blinks, frozen. She doesn't seem to know what to do. If he's lying or making some twisted joke. 

"I was eleven," he tells her. "I was in bed when I heard a noise from downstairs, and when I went to check it out, I saw my mom . . . screaming and crying, surrounded by lightning in our living room. My dad told me to run, and then suddenly I was outside, nowhere near my house. By the time I got back, my mom was dead and my dad was being taken away to prison for her murder. He didn't do it—it was a man who wanted revenge on my family. A speedster, which is a lot harder to explain, but basically, he framed my dad for my mom's murder for fifteen years."

He didn't realize that a little piece of him still aches when thinking about it. Talking about it feels so easy. They're just words and if he doesn't dwell on them hard or long enough then that's all they remain. A tragic story for people to make sympathetic noises over while he feels completely numb. But really thinking about it, it does hurt, right between his ribs and just slightly to the left. 

Mary's quiet. Her eyes are large and unblinking, her lips parted a couple inches as if to speak, but she doesn't. Any and all trace of annoyance has vanished from sight, melted away by regret and accompanied by its best friend, complete and total guilt. For once, though, there's no sympathy. No pity. No, "oh, that's so _tragic_ , you poor thing!"

"Oh my god," she breathes out softly. "I'm an asshole. I am . . . wow, I'm so sorry. Stress combined with . . . well, everything, really, and—"

"Hey, hey, it's fine," Barry says, brushing it off with total sincerity and that same gentle smile. "Really. It's not exactly a very common situation. I get it."

Mary shakes her head and buries her face back in her hands. When she looks back up at him, running her fingers behind her ears, she looks far less intimidating and cold than she did when he first met her. Everything he felt when he was eleven and even at twenty-six and _now_ , wrapped up in a bundle of pain and anguish, is reflected back to him on her face.

The stress of it all is obvious just from the way she holds her shoulders to the way she blows out a sigh.

"If you want, my offer to help with that stuff is still open," he says, motioning to the papers. He gives a small smile. "I'm also a CSI at CCPD, so I know how the system works with evidence and lawyers on these type of cases. Plus, you know, personal experience."

Mary's face has already lit up before he's even done talking, sitting straight up in her seat with hope etched into every feature, her guards apparently knocked down now.

"Seriously?" she asks. "Because I could really use someone else's advice on all of this stuff. I'm a med student, not a detective! I don't know how to prove someone's innocence or that they were framed!"

"Well, lucky for you, that is literally my job. Both of them, actually."

Mary sends him a strange look, cocking her head to the side in question. He falters, realizing his mistake; it appears that Mary isn't in the know about his secret identity. Something just made him assume she would be because of Kate, but now he's not entirely sure that she's aware of that either. He really doesn't want a repeat of this morning with Luke. 

"Dumb joke," he waves it away. Mary doesn't seem to completely buy it, growing more confused, but he motions to her files. "Can I...?"

She glances down at them then quickly nods, her attention diverted back to the topic at hand. "God, yeah. Please, go ahead, because I understand . . . about half of this, and that's only the parts about the autopsy on my mom, none of the legal jargon."

Barry can't help the swell of pain and empathy he feels for her at how flippantly she talks about her mom's death. It's a defence mechanism; the numbness just sort of takes over and steers the wheel for them after some point. It's easier than letting the pain really sink in.

"I am a master with legal jargon," he promises jokingly and slides from his table into the seat across from her, bringing his coffee. 

"Are you always this weird?" she asks, her eyes narrowed in mostly mock suspicion with a touch of amusement shining through. 

Barry nods, grinning. "Yep, pretty much. It annoys your sister."

"Oh, I'm sure," Mary says, and her mouth splits, curving up as well as she nods back. Then she pauses, her head tilting again, but it's more thoughtful curiosity this time than scrutinizing. "Although, maybe it's a good thing. Kate can be . . . well, very doom and gloom. Having someone like you around every now and then could be good. For her." 

"Guess it's a good thing I'm here for a few more days then."

Mary hums her agreement with a soft smile. Something tells him she's glad. It's written all over her face in subtle little ways that he's used to seeking out. The tension of the last few days—or weeks, maybe months, he can't be sure with how deeply embedded into her face it seems to be. But he knows that feeling, just like he knew the look on her face. 

The heaviness. How it hangs from your shoulders like two enormous satchels, and presses on your chest like a lazy pet lion, and especially the way it bangs against your skull with little, bony hands, never relenting. It's heaviness and numbness at the same time; a cold ache in your limbs and in your veins, trying to pull you down and paralyze you. 

"I wish I could say it gets better," he tells her gently, a grim note in his voice, and he shakes his head, "but I can't, because it doesn't. In some ways, it gets easier. Some days, you'll be the happiest you've ever felt, and you might even not feel guilty about it after a while. Even after a year passes, or five, it's still going to hurt, though. It always will, and you just have to let that pain and grief exist alongside the happiness. For every moment when you feel like crying, do it. Let it all out, and then remember how much your mom loved you. It's not peace of mind, I know that, especially under circumstances like ours, but it's a way to dull the pain just enough to let us live like they would want us to. Knowing that we're making them proud just by pushing through and finding a way to pick ourselves back up."

Mary's eyes are wide, unblinking, and filling with tears. Her mouth twists into a smile and she nods. The tears quickly fall when she blinks once, then rapidly, blowing out a breath as she looks away from him for just a second.

His heart aches for her. A little for himself as well, if he's honest. The pain never really does get easier. 

"I'm scared," she admits, holding his gaze. She shakes her head, raising her shoulders. "What if I can't prove that he's innocent? I know he is, Alice confessed to poisoning my mom and me right in front of us. But no one else believes us even though she's a lunatic."

She swallows hard, pausing again as her eyes drift to the table, a haunted look that he is far too familiar with taking place in them.

"What if he never gets out of prison?" She looks back up at him. "I've technically already lost both of my parents, I can't lose him as well. And it'll be my fault because Alice gave me a choice—give the antidote to my mom, or take it for myself. My mom told me to take it, but I . . ."

She falters, her voice cracking the slightest bit. He would reach out to her if he knew her better, feeling a need to comfort her in some way.

"I just can't lose him," she finishes in a much quieter voice. "And neither can Kate, she's already been through so much, even if she acts all tough about it and everything else."

Barry understands, which is why he shakes his head, leaning a little closer, and says, "I get it. Trust me, I do—I know it's not helpful to hear, but it took fifteen years to finally prove my dad's innocence. But it _was_ eventually proven, and he was free."

"Fifteen years?" Mary breathes out, and he can hear the worry in her voice, practically hear her heart breaking along with it. "I can—I can't wait that long. I have to find a way to get him out as soon as possible. I promised him, and Kate, and myself. And my mom."

"I know," Barry says, "which is why I'm going to help you guys with all of this. It's not technically my jurisdiction . . . not that I really _have_ a jurisdiction, but I can help out, make it make more sense. And maybe find you better lawyers by the sound of it. I could make a call to a friend over in Star City. Laurel is one of the best lawyers, by far. Little scary, but always gets the job done."

He's already reaching into his pocket to pull his phone out, but she quickly stops him with a hand on his wrist that's resting on the table, the coffee in his hand being thoroughly ignored. 

"As much as I appreciate it and find you incredibly adorable, all I really need is help with figuring this part out," she tells him, her eyes darting back over the sheets and files with anxiety as she swipes the cuff of her sleeve along the edge of her eyes. "Proving someone's innocence is surprisingly hard without proof of why someone would want to frame my dad and . . . well, evidence."

Barry drops his hand back to his side. "Got it."

Mary just stares at him for a moment. Her eyes are still shining and a little wet, and one or two tears have left tracks down her cheeks, but she doesn't seem fazed by it for the most part. That thoughtful curiosity returns, a smile playing at the edge of her mouth. Then she moves her hand from his wrist to hold it out to him instead.

"We need a proper introduction if you're going to be this nice to me and to help me with my family problems," she declares, and he smiles, happily accepting her hand and shaking it. "Hi, I'm Mary. And still very sorry. Like, a lot. And you are . . . Barry . . . right?"

He nods and her face lights up with satisfaction, her smile growing.

"Yeah, that's right," he says as they let go, pulling their hands back. "And, seriously, don't worry about earlier. You're not exactly having the easiest time, I get that. Let me try and at least help make it a little bit better; I will have a look over this, and you should probably go and get a coffee before Kate comes back. She reminds me a lot of my . . . sort of sister, and by that, I mean scary."

Mary laughs and doesn't disagree. "I can't just leave you with all of this, though."

"Trust me, I've gone over case files enough times in my life to know that you need coffee to get through it," he tells her with genuine seriousness in his voice. "I'll even pay for it."

"No," Mary immediately says, the offer clearly out of the question. He grins and she's trying to suppress a smile as she points at him. "I . . . will go and get a drink. But I'm also buying a muffin and making you split it with me, okay? Because you are being way too nice and I feel a need to repay you in food. No arguments allowed."

Barry holds his hands up in front of him. "Alright then. I guess I surrender?"

"Good," Mary says with a full smile. She gets out of her seat to leave, heading back downstairs.

Barry shakes his head to himself and turns back to everything laid out on the table. Picking up the file closest, he speed reads through it, taking in the basics of just what Mary, Kate, and their dad are dealing with. A lot, by the sounds of it. He frowns, his brow furrowing as he takes a drink of his now positively cold coffee. There has to be something here he can do to help, anything that will ease even a little bit of stress from all of their lives. 

When Mary returns, coffee and muffin in hand, they go through the details together. He figures a few calls back home to Joe, and even to Cecile and Laurel for better advice, can't hurt and Mary doesn't protest this time. It's not the easiest case, but it doesn't involve a time-travelling speedster, so it's definitely not the hardest he's ever had. 

By the time that Kate returns, minus Beth, who apparently decided to hang out ay Kate's place for a little while, Barry's more confident that the case isn't a dead-end. Even Mary's a little less frustrated after being able to thoroughly talk out the details, especially over the phone with both Cecile and Laurel, who were far more helpful than any lawyer or DA in Gotham, apparently. 

Kate insists on dragging them away from it, though. Neither one argues. Barry swears he's never seen Kate smile so much as when Mary actually beams at her, already packing everything back up. His visit to Gotham might have to be extended a little longer, but he doesn't mind. Whether old, slightly more recent, or very new, his friends' happiness is important to him. Besides, Gotham could use a visit from the Flash.

**Author's Note:**

> I was watching the second more recent episode of Batwoman and this is all I could think about! Barry would be the perfect person to talk to Mary about what she's going through. I would say Kate as well, but from what I can tell, she's handling it pretty well?? That might not end so great, though, but Mary's clearly the one who could use the pep-talk, and who is a master at those and also has a scarily similar experience? Mister Barry Allen! And I saw a post on Tumblr saying the same thing! So, since I know that, despite the fact that they all live on the same earth now, we're never actually going to get a conversation between Barry and Mary until the big crossover, I wrote it! If you have any thoughts and agree that they would be great friends, please let me know! Comment, come rant with me about this in my inbox on Tumblr! ❤


End file.
